Resilient Hartlepool schoolgirl scoops award for sports achievements while shielding
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Jessica Fenton, 14, has received a Panathlon Outstanding Achievement award after she didn’t give up on her favourite sports while shielding during the pandemic.
Jessica has Down’s syndrome and bronchiectasis, a chronic lung condition, and had to shield from March-August 2020 and then again from November.
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Hide AdShe missed her friends, her extra-curricular football and swimming clubs and the sport competitions organised by charity Panathlon which she loved while at primary school and then at Hartlepool’s Catcote Academy.
But she threw herself every day into a programme of at-home sporting challenges set by Panathlon for pupils with special needs and won the charity’s Tees Valley Outstanding Achievement prize.
Jessica was handed the trophy by her mum Julie on a special Zoom call with Panathlon Ambassador and multi-parasport international Freya Levy.
She said: “I was sad that I couldn’t go in but happy that I could do sport in the garden.”
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Hide Ad“I did the Panathlon games every day in the garden as soon as I woke up. It was wonderful and kept me busy.”
Julie said: “Jess is really competitive and loved trying to beat her best scores and times. She kept saying, ‘Do it again. Do it again.’
“Jess had a lot of tearful moments during shielding and it was hard to see her so desperate to see her friends and family and to return to school and sports clubs.
"She is a very sociable girl and loves to be busy so the pandemic had a huge impact on her life. She would ask and ask, ‘When will the germs be gone?’”
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Hide Ad“However, she developed a resilience that I am very proud of and we just made the best of everything. She never gives up, she is very determined and having the Panathlon videos to watch helped connect her to other people outside of the family.
"Completing the challenges and sending off her videos and pictures gave her a sense of purpose and made her feel like she was taking part just like children in schools.”
Jessica’s lung condition gives her recurring chest infections that need physio and daily medicines.
Sport and exercise are very significant in keeping her in good health by clearing her lungs.